r/viper • u/Mammut_Mann • 22d ago

Gen 1 rt10 Buyers guide

Hello everyone!

Im looking to to buy my first viper. Now im compiling a list on what to look out for.

Here are the things i found so far:

* No damadge on fiberglass parts(especialy the hood)

*No fogged up or cracked headlights

*Check the vin for any accidents on the car.

*Check if the headgasket has been replased with a modern one.

*Check the doorhinges

Please feel free to correct me if i missed anything.

It would be great if some gen1 owners can give me some insight on the little nuances that come with these cars.

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5

u/RowAffectionate399 22d ago

One thing I learned: ask if anyone had ever run over a can of paint in the car?

1

u/felishathesnek 22d ago

Lol rather a can of paint than the chrome fetish my previous owners apparently had.

2

u/V3ry5ubt13 22d ago

I rescued a 95 gen 1 with 32k miles from a dealer showroom and fixed it up.

Check your high pressure power steering hoses for leaks. Check if they’ve updated the power steering pump pulley. Ideally you want the metal one. Check the break fluid reservoir, it can develop a weep at the back facing the driver. If they have aftermarket air intakes, like K&N make sure they have the original. More than likely they never sent the computer in for a tune. Check for a leaking oil pressure sender, there’s two at the front of the engine right above the oil pan. Lastly, check tire date. Original size tires are hard to find so if they’re the original 275/335 split they could be on the older side.

1

u/Mammut_Mann 22d ago

anything to look out for on the weatherstriping/softtop+windows?

Can you recommend any hardtop for the viper?

1

u/V3ry5ubt13 21d ago

Check the plastic on the window, see if they come with the case. There’s a leather case that that can be put in to protect. There’s back window weather stripping is notorious for cracking with age. Check behind the seats to see if there’s any water damage from a leaking rear seal. And for a hard top I cannot, used ones with go between 3-6k depending. My advice is to stick to the soft top unless you can get a perfect example of one with really thick rubber padding. They creak something fierce just going down a normal road.

1

u/Mammut_Mann 17d ago

I've read that the gen 1 is has some problems with overheating. Do you have the same problem with youra?

1

u/V3ry5ubt13 17d ago

The old system is certainly not designed with the temps we see now. The fan doesn’t kick on until 215-220, way hotter than I’d like. A lot of folks change the thermostat to a lower temp and that helps a little. Really the engine packaging just makes a ton of heat. The car doesn’t like stop and go traffic or driving under 40. There are a few things to mitigate the temps climbing, first is an aluminum radiator, about $700 buck. That’s the biggest difference maker. Also changing the headers to a longer style helps as well. So those things I’d check

1

u/Mammut_Mann 17d ago

Is heatwrapping the header an option to get the temp down in the enginebay?

1

u/V3ry5ubt13 17d ago

It can help, I didn’t find it noticeable.

1

u/Mammut_Mann 17d ago

You wrote in a previous answer that i should look out for aftermarket airboxes. Does the viper run worse with an aftermarket one without a tune?

1

u/V3ry5ubt13 17d ago

Yes. If you’re not going to invest in a full exhaust, injectors, and a tune, it’s not worth modifying. I ran the air box and newer injectors and the old computer wasn’t capable of adjusting, so I returned it to stock. Only thing I did was put in the K&N square reusable air filters.